Cotton distributing mechanism



Aug. 23, 1932. T. BOYD COTTON DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM Filed March 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 23, T. BOYD 1 COTTON DISTRIBUTING- MECHANISM Filed March 3, 1931 1 N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 23, 1932 {THOMPSON BOYD, or wnrrrnsvrntn, MASSACHUSETTS, Assrenon T wnrrm nncnrnn WORKS, or wrrrrinsvrnnn, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- GHUSETTS V common DISTRIBUTiNG 'iiinonnlvrs v Application filed March 3, 1931. Serial No. 519,885.

This invention relates to mechanism for distributing cotton or other fibrous ma-terlal to a series of cotton feeders or similar machines. Such mechanism commonly comprises a belt conveyor which receives the cotton as it is delivered from the picker room and which transports the cotton to a plurality of hoppers, each of which is associated with a feeder for a cotton Opener or breaker lapper. conveyor for divertingcotton to the different openers or lappers and my present invention relates to the provision of improved and simplified mechanism for selectively opening and closing these gates.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will he hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which 1 Fig. lis a side elevation of a cotton feeder having my improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a detail end elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of my improved gate actuating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a detail olan view of a portion of the conveyor and parts associated therewith;

. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation, taken along the line 55 in Fig. 3; and

' Fig. 6 is a detail view showing certain of the parts appearing in Fig. 3 but in different positions.

Referring to the drawings, 1 have shown a cotton feeder 10 of a usual type and comprising a hopper 11 adapted to receive cotton from aconveyor belt 12 and to feed cotton by a horizontal conveyor 13 to an inclined conveyor 14 by which the cotton is forwarded to a conveyor 15 associated with a breaker or lapper 16.

A feeler fork 18 is mounted on a cross shaft 19 and is swung to the right in Fig. 1 by an accumulation of cotton in the hopper 11. The conveyor belt 12 travels between. side wall members 20 (Figs. 1 and 2) one side of which is cut away to provide an opening 22 above each of a series of feeders 10. A gate or de- Gates are. provided adjacentthe selectively controlling and actuating the fiector24 ispivoted a-t25 to. the side wall20 opposite each opening22but is normally swung back out of the path of the cotton on the conveyor 12. lVhenit is desired to deliver cotton to a" particular feeder 10, the corresponding gate 24 is moved to the'position indicated inFig. 4, in which position cotton is deflected through the adjacent opening 22 to the associated hopper 11. The parts thus far described are of a usual commercial construction and in themselves form nopart of mypresent invention, which relates particularly to the mechanism for gates 24. 7

Each gate 24 is provided with an arm ZiO so i (Fig. 4) extending perpendicular to the sur- 7 face of the gate and connected by a link 31 to a bell crank 32 mounted upon a fixed pivot 33 (Fig.2). The bell crank 32 is in turn connected by a link 34 to a second bell crank 35 (Fig. 3.) pivoted at 36. on the frame of the feederlO. i a A bar 37 is pivoted at 38 arm of the bell crank 35 and is providec with aslot 39 to receive a fixed pin40. A

to the depend ng friction device, 41 may be provided to prevent accidental displacement of the bell crank 35 and the connected gate 24.

. A rocker plate 42 (Fig. isjpivote d at'43 on the slotted bar 37 and isprovided at each side edge with rearwardly and forwardly projecting lugs 44e45 and 44' 45 which supports thefeeler fork 18 and is' provided with afinger 52 loosely pivoted thereon at 53 and swinging betweenrearwardly extending lugs'54 and 55. I n

An actuating member is mounted en a fixed pivot61 and is connected by a link62 to a crank-pin 63 in a continuously rotated gear 64 by which the actuating member 60 is regu larly oscillated. The member 60 is also provided with a pair of rearwardly projecting lugs 66 and 67 1 Having described the details ofconstruc-.

tion'of my improved mechanism, the method I of operation thereof is as follows: The normal position of the parts isas shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with thelhopperll l 1 the Slotted bar 37 is in its extreme right hand position and that the rocker tipped to the right. Assuming now .that the supply of cotton int-he hopper 11 becomes depleted, the feeler plate 42 is also fork18 will be swungto the left by the action of a weight WV supported on therock shaft 19. This movement of the feeler. fork 18 causes corresponding movement of the arm 50 (Fi g. 6) to the left, carrying" with it the finger 52 which is pivoted'thereon. As the movement of the arm 50 continues, the lug 55 on the arm 50 engages't'he finger 52 and forcesit against the lug 44 ofthe rocker plate 42, turning the rocker plate about its pivot 43 on the slotted bar 37. When the rocker plate has been turned sufiicien'tly, it falls by gravity to a position determined'by engagement of the lug 44 with the upper edge of the bar 37 (Fig. This turning movement elevates the corner of the rocker plate,

42 which is adjacent the lugs 4545, so that the lug;45 comes into the path of the lug 67 on the actuating member 60. The rocker plate" 42 and slotted bar 37 are thereafter forced bodily to the left by the lug 67' o-f the actuating member 60 until the member 60 reaches its limit of movement.

' ply in the hopper.

At this time the parts have assumedthe position shown. in Fig. 3' and the gate 24 has been moved to the operative position shown in 4, in which it deflects cotton through the adjacent opening 22 into the associated hopper 11. As the hopper fills with cotton, the fork 18 is pushed toward the position shown in Fig. 1, causing movement of the finger 52 intheopposite direction and rocking the plate '42 to bring the corner of the plate adjacent thelugs 4444, into a posit-ion such that the lug 44 is in the path of movement'of the lug 66 on the actuating me1nbpr '60. Thereupon the parts are restored to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 1.

I have thus provided very simple mecha nism by which the feeler fork for eachhopper controls power actuated mechanism for moving the corresponding gate 24 to operative or inoperative positions. These move- "ments are effected withvery slight load upon the feeler fork 18, whi ch-has no other function '7 than to rock the plate 42 on its pivot 43, which rocking movement may be effected with the application of a very slight force.

use of contacts or magnets or other electrical devices is entirely avoided.

, Having thus described my inventionand the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claim, but what I and positioned in accordance with the supply of cotton in said hopper, a movable supporting device mechanically connected to said gate, an indicating plate pivoted on said supporting device and havlng spaced lugs thereon, a pivoted arm connected to said ments, a feeler mounted to rock in the hopper feeler andmou-nted to swingwith said feeler and having additional spaced lugs thereon,

and a depending finger pivoted on said arm and freely swinging between the lugs on said arm, said finger being alternately engaged and moved by the lugs on saidarm as said arm is rocked in one direction or the other by said feeler, and said finger alternately engaging the lugs on said indicating plate and being effective to reverse the position of said plate when engaged by a lug on said arm and to thereby cause a portlon of said indicating plate to be engaged by said actuating member and to be moved thereby in a'selected d rection, together with said movable supporting device and said gate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afliXed my signature.

THOMPSON BOYD.

The pivoted finger 52 swinging between the lugs 54 and 55 provides a lost motion connectionwhich prevents operation of the mechanism upon slight variations in the cotton sup- It will be noted that the operation of the device is mechanical throughout and that the 1 izio 

